Considerable activity and study now relates to the use of various printing techniques to yield printed semiconductor devices. These techniques typically comprise using one or more printing techniques to place a plurality of different materials (usually in the form of functional inks having varying desired functional properties relating to conductivity, insulation, semiconductivity, and so forth) on a printing substrate of choice. Some of these processes employ a continuous printing spray; that is, the spray of ink does not typically start and stop during the printing of a given substrate but rather continues to operate as the spray mechanism and printing substrate move relative to one another.
Such a spray is maintained for any of a variety of reasons when so employed. Unfortunately, however, such a process may give rise to other problems. For example, in many cases there may be specific areas on the printing substrate that the corresponding spray of functional ink must preferably avoid. In other words, the continuously operating printing spray must preferably avoid rather than traverse a given area of the printing substrate. Such a circumstance arises, for example, when the functional aspects of a given functional ink are highly incompatible with the intended functional operation of a given area of the printing substrate.
In such a case it then becomes necessary to identify and program a path for the continuous printing spray to follow that will ensure both that desired areas are sprayed while also avoiding areas where such a print deposit is less desirable or even counterproductive. Skilled printing practitioners can be employed to ascertain such a path. This practice, however, may be unduly time consuming (especially when employed in conjunction with relatively small print runs yielding only a relatively small number of printed substrates). In many cases, though, it may be necessary to identify an appropriate print spray path for a very large number of desired areas which would not be feasible without an automated procedure such as the one being disclosed.
Further, there are no guarantees that the person attempting the task will, in fact, achieve an optimum solution. While one can be relatively certain that a given path will in fact include the desired points while avoiding the undesired areas, it can be considerably more daunting to determine whether a shortest path has been identified. In some cases the functional inks employed may be so inexpensive as to make this point less important. In many instances, however, the functional ink may be relatively expensive. This, in turn, makes it more important to identify a shortest path that will, in turn, require a smallest amount of functional ink.
Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions and/or relative positioning of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of various embodiments of the present invention. Also, common but well-understood elements that are useful or necessary in a commercially feasible embodiment are often not depicted in order to facilitate a less obstructed view of these various embodiments of the present invention. It will further be appreciated that certain actions and/or steps may be described or depicted in a particular order of occurrence while those skilled in the art will understand that such specificity with respect to sequence is not actually required. It will also be understood that the terms and expressions used herein have the ordinary meaning as is accorded to such terms and expressions with respect to their corresponding respective areas of inquiry and study except where specific meanings have otherwise been set forth herein.